Clothes-washing machine



Sept. 7, 19 6. 1,599,028

F. B. MOREHOUSE CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE Filed Sept. 29, 1924 Fllll.

FEE.

.. forms.

Patented Sept. 7, 1926.

UNITED FRANK B. MOREHOUSE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TOTHAYWAY MFG. 00., A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

CLOTHES-WASHING MACHINE.

The invention relates to clothes washing machines and particularly tothe impeller for agitating the clothes in the container in which theyare washed.

An object of the invention is to provide a reversible or invertibleimpeller so that different washing actions may be produced on clothes ofdifferent fabrics.

Another object of the invention is to provide an impeller which may bereadily connected to and disconnected from its drive shaft so that itmay be readily inverted.

The invention possesses other advantageous features, some of which withthe foregoing, will be set forth at length in the following description,where I shall outline in full that form of the impeller of my invention,which I have selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying andforming part of the present specification. In said drawings I have shownone form of impeller embodying my invention, but it is to be understoodthat I do not limit myself to such form, since the invention, as setforth in the claims, may be embodied in a Referring to said drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a washing machine embodying myinvention, a portion of the impeller being s own in section.

Figure 2 is a cross section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.-

Figure 3 is an elevation of achine embodying my invention, impeller ininverted position.

In the washing of fabrics, some fabrics. particularly heavy fabrics suchas woolen and cotton fabrics should be submitted to a heavy agitation inthe washing liquid. Other fabrics such as silks and laces, cannotwithstand the heavy agitationand should be subjected to a lightagitation in the washing liquid. In accordance with my invention I haveprovided a washing machine which may be readily adjusted to subject thefabrics to a heavy or light agitation, depending upon the nature of thefabric. In the present instance, this is accomplished by providing animpeller, which in one osition will produce a heavy agitation and in theother position will produce a light agitation.

The clothes to be washed are placed in a suitable container such as thetray 3 with the washing liquid. The clothes and the liquid are agitatedin the container 3 by an imwashing mashowing the provided with anplurality of with respect duce the agitation of the clothes and washingof the receptacle and this peller which is rotated or reciprocated bythe drive shaft i which is rotated or reciprocated by suitablemechanism. The drive shaft 4 is preferably square or rectangular andfits in a corresponding bore or socket in the drive mechanism, sothatthe shaft 4' is freely vertically movable with respect to the drivemechanism but is rotatable therewith.

The impeller comprises an elongated hub 5 which is preferably hollow andwhich is aperture or bore extending therethrough of a diameter greaterthan the drive shaft and into which the drive shaft 4 fits. so that theimpeller is rotatable I with the drive shaft'and so that the drive shaftmay be readily withdrawn vertically from engagement with the impeller.

The hub 5 of the impeller is provided on one end with a bearing surface6 which is adapted to rest against the bottom 7 of the container whenthe impeller is in one position and on its other end is provided with abearing surface 8 whieh is adapted to rest against the bottom of thereceptacle when the impeller is inverted. Secured to or formed integralwith the hub 5 adjacent the bearing surface 6 is a plate 9 WlllCh ispreferably flatand circular and which lies adjacent to the bottom 7 ofthe receptacle when the bearing-surface 6 is in contact with the bottomof the receptacle. Arranged on and disposed over the plate 9 are aplurality of vanes 12Vwhich preferably extend radially to the plate 9and which proliquid. The hub 5 extends upward above the upper edges ofthe vanes 12, preferably to such height that the plane of the upperedges of the vanes occurs approximately midway between the bearingsurfaces 6 and 8.

In Figure 1, the impeller is shown in position with the vanes adjacentthe bottom 7 is the position in which the impeller is used when it isdesired to wash heavy fabrics. When it is desired to wash light fabrics,the impeller is inverted as shown in Figure 3, so that the late 9 andthe vanes12 are spaced apart mm the bottom 7 of the container, so that alighter agitation is produced. When it IS desired to invert theimpeller, the drive shaft 4 is withdrawn vertically, the impeller isinverted and the drive shaft reinserted in the bore in the hub.

I claim:

1. In a clothes washing machine, a driving shaft, a hub reversible onsaid shaft, and adopted at either end to bear on said washing machine,and an impeller secured to one end of said hub.

2. In a clothes washing machine, a clothes agitator comprising ahollowelon ated hub having an aperture of a greater dlameter than the driveshaft extending therethrough, bearing surfaces at each end of said hub,a drive shaft disposed in said aperture and rotatably connected to saidhub and an impeller secured to the hub at one end thereof.

3. In a clothes washing machine, an impeller comprising a plate, aplurality of vanes on the upper side of said plate, a 'hub to which theplate is secured extending upward above the vanes, said hub having anaperture of a greater diameter than the drive shaft extending verticallythere through, bearing surfaces at each end of said hub, and a driveshaft removably fitted in said aperture.

4. In a clothes washing machine, a ver-.

tically disposed rotary drive shaft and a vertically reversible impellerremovably engaging the drive shaft, said impeller comprising an longatedhollow hub having an aperture extending therethrough of a greaterdiameter than the drive shaft and into which the drive shaft extends,bearing surfaces at each end of said hub, and vanes secured to the huband disposed adjacent one end thereof.

5. In a clothes washing machine adapted to wash clothes in a receptacle,a vertically.

disposed rotary drive shaft extending into the receptacle and'avertically reversible impeller rcmovably engaging the drive shaft andnormally resting on the bottom of the receptacle, said impellercomprising an elongated hollow hub having bearing surfaces at each endof said hub, into either end of which the drive shaft may extend andvanes secured to the hub and disposed adjacent one end thereof, so thatwhen the impeller 1s m one position, the vanes are disposed adjacent thebottom of the receptacle and when the impeller spaced from the bottom ofthe receptacle.

6. In a clothes washing machine adapted is reversed the vanes are;

to wash clothes in a receptacle, a vertically disposed rotary driveshaft extending into the receptacle, a hollow hub removably engaging thedrive shaft, bearing surfaces at each end of said hub, a plate securedto the hub at one end and vanes arranged on said plate, and projectingtoward the other end of said hub, said hub having a bore extendingentirely therethrough which is of greater diameter than thedrive shaft,the hub consequently being invertable in the container so that in oneposition the plate lies adjacent the bottom of the receptacle with thevanes above the plate and in the inverted position, the plate is spacedaway from the bottom and the vanes are disposed below the plate.

7. In a clothes washing machine, an impeller comprising an elongatedhollow hub, a bearing surface on each end of the hub, a plate on one endof the hub and vanes on the upper side of the plate, the hub extendingupward beyond the vanes.

8. In a clothes washing machine, an impeller adapted to be supportedbythe bottom of a receptacle, said impeller having a non-circular bore,and a vertical non-circular drive rod slidably engaging said borewhereby said drive rod' may be disengaged by vertical movement of thesame without lifting said impeller. v

9. In aclothes washing machine, an impeller comprising an elongatedhollow hub, a bearing surface on each end of the hub, a plate secured tosaid hub and vanes positioned on one side of the plate, one end of thehub extending beyond said vanes.

10. In a clothes washing machine, an impeller comprising a hub, a platesecured to said hub, and a pluralityof vanes extending from one side ofsaid hub, said hub having a bearing surface at one end thereof wherebythe impeller may be supported by the bottom of a receptacle with thevanes extending upwardly, means permitting free vertical movement of theimpeller for driving the same, said drive means permitting said impellerto be reversed whereby the impeller may be operated to ride above theclothes in the receptacle with the vanes extending downwardly.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

FRANK B. MOREHOUSE.

